High Court Ruling Expected Soon On County School Bond Challenge

April 2, 1987|BY KEN SWART, Staff writer

The state Supreme Court is expected to rule in a matter of weeks on an unsuccessful Palm Beach County School Board candidate`s legal challenge of the district`s $317 million school construction-renovation bond issue.

The board learned Wednesday night that the Supreme Court has denied a motion for a hearing filed by an attorney representing West Palm Beach insurance firm owner Richard Lodwick.

``All the briefs (written legal arguments) are up there (in Tallahassee),`` board Attorney Richard Oftedal said. ``Now, it`s just up to (the court) rendering a decision.

``Hopefully, the court can now come to a speedy resolution,`` Oftedal said. He predicted three or four weeks. ``Of course, there`s no guarantee of that. But we`re optimistic.``

Lodwick hired West Palm Beach attorney Anthony Barone to challenge the bond issue in county Circuit Court shortly after it was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November.

Lodwick claimed the district already has all the money it needs to build new schools and renovate the old ones.

He also claimed that district officials overestimated construction costs and underestimated available reserves on brochures they distributed before the election.

When a Circuit Court judge validated the bonds in December, Lodwick appealed the decision directly to the Supreme Court.